Part III: 6 Essential Ingredients for High-Performance Project Teams

In Part II of this blog post, we revealed the first three key factors to take into account when building high-performance project teams. Below are the final three ingredients for high-performance teams.

Enjoyment

Team members perform at their peak when they enjoy what they do and those with whom they do it. True satisfaction comes when the project leader and team are deeply involved in working out a critical problem and they persevere together as a complete unit. Leaders can set the tone for the team by showing that they genuinely enjoy their job, that they like the people they work with, and that they appreciate everyone’s contributions and hard work. Great leaders should thank team members and reward them for working long hours on a project or going above and beyond to get the job done. New ideas and honest feedback should be encouraged and praised. Never blame team members for mistakes—laugh and learn from them. Keep the team focused on winning instead of failing.

Empowerment

High-performance team members are self-directed. When empowered to accomplish a goal, these team members take ownership of their responsibilities and are committed to succeed. Leaders of high-performance teams work to focus the team on what needs to be achieved. This “what” is defined as the vision, goals, objectives and milestones for the team. How work is to be accomplished must remain the sole responsibility of the team. When leaders start telling teams how work is to be done, the team becomes unmotivated and performance drops dramatically.

Opportunity

The final ingredient for high-performance project teams is developing an environment where top performers can grow. Creating an environment where team members can experience different roles, cross train, work with diverse teams, and learn new specialties will develop team members who are more self-assured, who listen, and who are more open to new ideas. This strategy of continuous learning will keep the team energized and motivated to perform at the highest levels.

A Final Word

As a leader, you have the power to influence the people and performance of your project teams. If you truly believe in creating an environment where trust, vision, optimism, enjoyment, empowerment, and opportunity are encouraged, then you will build a solid, sustainable, and high-performing team.

This content was originally published by PM Perspectives, TwentyEighty Strategy Execution’s UK blog.

TwentyEighty Strategy Execution, the global authority in project leadership training, equips your people with the complete package of technical and leadership skills — the mindset, adaptability,and expertise to lead and execute projects in any context. With curricula in adaptive strategic execution, project management, business analysis, contract management, and more, Strategy Execution partners with your organization to build skill sets and change mindsets. It’s time to declare a new standard of performance. For more information, visit strategyex.com.

About Strategy Execution

TwentyEighty Strategy Execution, the global authority in project leadership training, equips your people with the complete package of technical and leadership skills — the mindset, adaptability,
and expertise to lead and execute projects in any context. With curricula in adaptive strategic execution, project management, business analysis, contract management, and more, Strategy Execution partners with your organization to build skill sets and change mindsets. It’s time to declare a new standard of performance. For more information, visit strategyex.com.